At Break Of Day
by badly-knitted
Summary: Dee and Ryo are too tired to do anything, and yet much-needed sleep is eluding them. Set after Like Like Love. Written for fic promptly.


**Title:** At Break Of Day

 **Author:** badly_knitted

 **Characters:** Dee, Ryo

 **Rating:** PG

 **Setting:** After Like Like Love

 **Summary:** Dee and Ryo are too tired to do anything, and yet much-needed sleep is eluding them.

 **Word Count:** 920

 **Written For:** My own prompt 'FAKE, Dee/Ryo, Too tired to sleep,' at fic_promptly.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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It had been a long day and an even longer week. Pulling double shifts was all well and good if it was just once in a while, but four consecutive days of them was more than anyone should have to deal with. It hadn't just been the 27th Precinct either; a spate of shootings across the city had put the whole of the NYPD on high alert, and things were only starting to calm down now that the shooter had finally been caught.

All those who'd been working overtime had been told they could clock off, even though there was still several hours until the end of their shift. The various precincts were well covered by the people who'd come on duty at the last shift change; the extra manpower was no longer needed.

Dee stretched carefully, vertebrae popping, and groaned. "Man, I'm beat. I need a hot shower and some sack time."

Ryo turned off his computer, having finished his report, pulled off his reading glasses, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Bed sounds good, if I can just stay awake long enough to get there."

Without another word to each other, they grabbed their coats and made their way downstairs to where Dee's car was parked in the precinct's small parking lot. It was still very early, but they could tell that daybreak wasn't far off; the sky was just starting to lighten from the black of night to the vague, dreamlike grey of false dawn, although it would be a while yet before it really started to get light. It felt strange driving home through the eerie not quite dark streets. There wasn't a lot of traffic about at this hour, which was probably a good thing because Dee found his attention wandering a bit as he drove the familiar route back to their shared apartment. It was with a sense of relief that he pulled up at the curb in his usual spot and killed the engine, not really remembering much of the drive.

"Home at last," he sighed, shoving the door open and dragging his aching body from the car.

"Mmm, time for bed." Ryo stumbled out the other side, slamming the door behind him.

They trudged up the stairs to the top floor, fumbled their way through the door to the apartment, and making a beeline for their bedroom, threw off their clothes and collapsed into bed. Aching from head to foot, all they wanted was to sleep, but…

Ryo turned over, adjusted his pillow, then rolled onto his other side before turning onto his back again, staring sightlessly at the ceiling and willing sleep to come. Beside him, Dee shifted restlessly, tossing and turning, until after fifteen minutes, he sat up. "Dammit, this is useless."

"You can't sleep either?" Ryo asked wearily.

"Nope, I'm just too damned tired. I hate when that happens."

"Me too." Sitting up on his side of the bed, Ryo glanced out the window. The sky was noticeably paler now; it was almost dawn. "Sun will be coming up soon." He slid off the bed and started pulling on the clothes he'd shed just a short while ago.

"What're you doin'?" Dee asked.

"Getting dressed, what does it look like?"

"Why?"

"There's no point lying here if I'm not going to sleep, so I thought I'd go up on the roof and watch the sunrise."

Dee thought about that and shrugged. "Beats the alternative, I guess. Think I'll join you." Tossing back the covers, he fished around on the floor for his own discarded clothes, tugging on the bare minimum necessary.

Ryo grabbed a blanket to sit on, and a couple of bottles of juice from the refrigerator, while Dee snagged a bag of cookies, and they made their way up the stairs to the roof of their building.

The air was fresh but not cold, and the sky to the east was showing a faint hint of brightness on the horizon, just visible between buildings. Spreading their blanket out and leaving the snacks with it, the two men leant side by side against the parapet, watching as that tiny sliver of light grew wider, spreading up the sky as the sun gradually appeared.

"We don't get to see this often enough," Ryo said with a dreamy smile. "The start of a new day."

"A better day," Dee added, "now that maniac with the gun is behind bars, where he belongs. That's one less thing for us to worry about."

"Mmm, the citizens of New York can maybe relax a bit."

"Yeah. Wish we could."

As the sun broke free of the horizon and began its daily trek across the sky, Dee and Ryo returned to their blanket, where it was spread in the shadow cast by the buildings across the street. Setting themselves comfortably, they sipped juice and munched on cookies, a little surprised to realise how hungry they were. Finishing their odd breakfast, they set the empties aside and stared up at the fading pink and gold of dawn, the sky rapidly turning a bright, almost cloudless blue.

"Looks like it's going to be a nice day," Ryo commented.

"Looks like," Dee agreed, flaked out on his back. "We should probably go back downstairs and try to get some sleep."

"In a few minutes; there's no rush," Ryo said, sprawling beside his lover.

Ten minutes later warm sunlight started to creep across the blanket they were lying on, but neither of them noticed. They were both fast asleep.

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The End


End file.
